


Let's Get Political - Again

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon, Inspired by Real Events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-11-05
Updated: 2004-11-05
Packaged: 2018-12-27 16:01:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12084417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: A sequel to Let's Get Political.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

Brian was in the loft, lights out, only the glow from the television illuminating the large space. He was waiting for Justin to get home. Bored, Brian had turned on the television and began flipping through the multitude of channels, stopping when he came upon one of the twenty-four hour news networks, showing highlights from the Democratic Convention from which he and Justin had just recently returned.

Brian listened as a political pundit began espousing the good and bad from the Democratic Convention – what helped Senator Kerry and what didn’t. Brian continued to listen to the pundit’s critique, agreeing with some of the woman’s comments and rolling his eyes at others. Before long the topic switched from the Democratic Convention, which now was ancient history by presidential election standards and towards the  
upcoming Republican Convention in New York.

The image of the show’s hostess dissolved and was replaced by that of a grizzled man. The banner at the bottom of the screen gave his name and title; he was the head of the Republican National Committee. Brian increased the volume slightly, figuring it didn’t hurt to hear what the enemy had to say.

Considering the amount of coverage – or lack thereof – that same-sex marriage had rated in Boston, Brian was a little surprised at how quickly the Republican’s top official brought it up. Not to mention how many times the man invoked the need to save the ‘sanctity of marriage’ during the interview.

Unable to listen to anymore, Brian clicked the remote and the television blinked off. He stood and wandered over to his computer; before long he’d pulled up more information than he wanted to know about the honorable head of the RNC. To his surprise, and amusement, Brian saw that the man was on his third marriage and had six children, two from each wife.

Brian scoffed, and closed his web browser, if he wasn’t disgusted before, he was now. Brian shut down his computer but remained at his desk; he leaned back in his chair and let the events of Jim Stockwell’s failed campaign play through his mind. He’d told himself again and again that it was just business, and at the time he truly believed it. But now, now that he’d had a year to think about it, he couldn’t believe that he’d tried to get the man elected.

Maybe it was his own maturation, maybe it was seeing Ben and Michael fight through hoops to remain Hunter’s guardians, or maybe it was Justin’s influence on him. Brian couldn’t help the smile that escaped when his thoughts turned to his blond. He was sure that Justin’s influence had a large part in his change of heart. Justin, for one so young, grasped the concept of right or wrong on a large scale so easily. Brian was proud of his partner.

The loft door slid back and Brian turned to see a shadowy figure enter the loft, and close the heavy door behind him. The room was dark, only a small amount of city light coming in the window. “Hey,” he said quietly, as not to startle the intruder.

“Hey,” Justin said.

“You’re late.”

Justin dropped his bag and kicked off his shoes before approaching Brian. “I was at Michael and Ben’s.”

“Rage?”

Justin chuckled, “Well it certainly wasn’t for the food.” Justin was quiet for a moment; he could tell something was on Brian’s mind. “What’s up?”

“Just thinking,” Brian confessed as he stood and reached out to pull Justin against him.

“About?”

“Things. You, Stockwell, Boston.”

“What else?” Justin all but purred as he nuzzled his nose against Brian’s chest – Their time in Boston was still fresh in his mind.

“The Concerned Citizens for the Truth,” Brian said.

Justin laughed lightly, “You’re the Concerned Citizens for the Truth though, Brian.”

“Yeah, well, maybe it’s time I added to our membership.”

“But you stopped Stockwell.”

“Yeah, we did,” Brian said, making sure that he shared the credit with Justin. “But maybe there is more for us to do.”

“So, who were you thinking?”

Brian pushed Justin back slightly and gave him a pointed look. Justin’s eyes had adjusted to the darkened loft and he could see the gleam and reflection of the outside lights in Brian’s eyes. “Me?” Justin asked.

Brian nodded. “What do you say we double our membership?”

“I’m in.”

Brian smiled and leaned in for a kiss. "I knew I could count on you," he said softly.

"So what do the Concerned Citizens for the Truth need to do?"

"I was watching television before you got here. Do you know what fucking crap they are spewing now?" Brian demanded.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me," Justin said with a chuckle. "And just who might 'they' be?"

"The goddam Republicans! I was watching one of the news channels and they had this old geezer who is the head of the Republican National Convention. He went on and on, ad nauseum, about the sanctity of marriage and how it must be preserved."

"So?" Justin asked. "We've heard that a million times before."

"He pissed me off so I went and looked him up on the web."

"And just what did you find, Concerned Citizen?"

"He's been married three times and has six children, two by each wife."

Justin snorted. "And he's preaching the sanctity of marriage?"

"Preaching is the right word. I'm sure they're after the evangelical right wing. I read somewhere that the Republicans think that if they can draw four million votes from that group it will put Bush over the top."

"And it's up to the Concerned Citizens for the Truth to set people straight about these infidels preaching the sanctity of marriage and then divorcing left, right and center?" Justin said but more as a question than a statement.

"I can't stand hypocrites, and even worse are users. They're trying to play on people's emotions and basically they are lying through their teeth. They need to be stopped."

"Did you take your Rage pill today?" Justin asked with a chuckle. He couldn't believe that Brian had got himself so riled up about this political issue, and Justin hadn't even helped him.

"I don't need a pill to see the hypocrisy," Brian retorted. He was a little hurt that Justin didn't seem to be taking this with the same degree of indignation that he was feeling. He had thought Justin would be much more upset.

"I didn't mean that you did," Justin said contritely. He was beginning to realize just how seriously Brian was taking this.

"They need to be stopped. All they are doing is turning one group against another. They're going to irreparably divide this country if we let them continue."

"Jesus, Brian, you're not kidding, are you?"

"I'm fucking serious."

"So what do you think we can do?"

"I … don't know yet, but we can work together to come up with something.

"You think so?"

"We need to do some more research and come up with some ideas. If we could bring down Stockwell, why can't we do the same for Bush?"

"Today Pittsburgh, tomorrow the world?" Justin asked staring at Brian with new eyes.

"Tomorrow Washington," Brian stated.

"I have to admit that this is a side of you I've never seen before."

"And what side might that be?"

"Your social conscience."

"What about what I did to Stockwell?" Brian asked slightly indignant that Justin didn't seem to think he had a social conscience.

"I kind of sucked you into that one, and then it became personal when he got you kicked out of your job, and he was a fucking bigot," Justin added.

Brian snorted. "But I did all those things of my own volition."

"I know you did, and I was so impressed with you. However, I don't want you paying for commercials on national TV. Even your new accounts won't pay for that."

"I'm not planning on doing it all by myself this time. That's why I'm recruiting new members," he said licking at Justin's ear.

"I'm not exactly flush enough to pay for commercials either."

"Hopefully we won't have to do it ourselves. But making a commercial showing the hypocrisy of these assholes might be a good place to start."

"Can we start later?" Justin asked. "There are some other things that need to be taken care of first." He pressed his cock against Brian's thigh and nipped at the man's neck.

"Is JT going to give Rage a blowjob?" Brian asked huskily.

"JT is going to do whatever Rage wants him to," Justin promised.

"And the ad?"

"Later," Justin whispered.

"Later," Brian agreed.

XXXXX

After several hours of sucking and fucking, an exhausted Justin rolled onto his side and drifted off into sleep. Brian, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, turned his head to look at Justin, who was snoring soundly.

Gently climbing out of bed, Brian padded into the bathroom, relieved his bladder and headed towards his desk, stopping long enough in the bedroom to grab his robe.

He made himself comfortable in front of his computer before turning it on. Listening to the soft beeps and whirs of the machinery, Brian let his mind run free as he considered possible ways of impacting the upcoming election. His mind kept replaying the interview he’d seen earlier on the news, with the sanctimonious prick, preaching family values and hypocrisy. Brian knew that others would feel the same way if only they knew the truth about the man, and others like him.

The sounds of clicking mouse buttons and tapping keys began slowly, soon increasing in tempo and rhythm as ideas flowed from Brian’s head, to his fingers and came to life on his screen. He became totally oblivious to the time, instead giving himself over to the creative process.

Justin stirred; he rolled closer to Brian but felt only cold from that side of the bed. Slowly, he sat up and looked around. He could see the bluish glow from Brian’s computer, and could hear the man working. Justin crawled out from beneath the warmth that the covers were providing and slowly descended from the bedroom and towards Brian.

“Whatcha doing?” the sleepy blond asked.

Brian looked up, appreciating Justin’s nakedness before answering. “I had some ideas; I just wanted to get them down."

Justin glanced towards the kitchen and noted the time. “It’s late; you need to get some sleep.

Brian looked at the clock in the corner of his computer screen; it was almost 4AM. “Shit,” he mumbled softly.

Justin took several steps nearer and asked, “You want to show me?”

Brian looked up at Justin but didn’t speak. He looked back at his screen, saved and closed out of what he was doing, shut the computer down and stood up. “No. It isn’t ready yet.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“You will; there’ll be plenty of work to go around,” Brian said, running his hand through his hair.

Justin nodded. He could tell that Brian was putting a lot of himself into whatever it was that he was working on and knew that the man would share the idea when he was ready.

“Come on,” Justin said as he held out his hand. Brian accepted and the two went back to bed, quickly falling asleep.

XXXXX

“Okay, I’m heading out,” Brian said as he collected several CDs and some papers off his desk and stuffed them into his briefcase.

“Have a good day,” Justin said taking another sip of coffee.

Brian pulled the loft’s door back and was about to pass through when he paused. He turned to Justin. “Are you busy this afternoon?”

Justin shook his head ‘no’.

“Come by at about one? We’ll go out for lunch.” Brian waited for Justin’s reaction, and the blond didn’t disappoint. He gave Brian a bright smile and nod.

Justin had a hard time wiping the smile from his features. Though he and Brian had seldom discussed their date in Boston, Justin knew that Brian had taken it seriously and had put forth a real effort in making sure that they spent some quality time together, and not just in the bedroom.

XXXXX

Justin entered Brian’s office just before one. The man was at his desk, fixated on several pieces of paper spread out in front of him.

“Hey,” Justin said quietly.

Brian looked up and gave Justin a smile. “Hungry?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Famished. I had meetings all morning, didn’t even get a fucking bagel,” Brian snipped as he stacked the papers into a neat pile and slid them into a folder and the folder into his briefcase. “Ready?”

The two made their way to a small bistro a few blocks from the office. The interior was dark, but each table had its own lighting, creating an intimate setting. The men ordered drinks, looked over the menus and ordered their meals.

Brian stared intently at Justin for several minutes; almost as though he were searching for something, and wasn’t sure if he’d found it yet, much to the blond’s discomfort. Finally he spoke. “You want to see the idea I have so far?”

“Yes!” Justin said, realizing that Brian was hoping for his approval.

Brian pulled several sheets out of his briefcase and handed them to Justin. Each sheet contained six separate frames, with a person’s picture on them. Justin looked at them, recognizing many of the faces but he wasn’t sure from where. He finally put the pages down and looked at Brian, hoping for an explanation.

“Do you recognize anyone?”

Justin glanced at the pages again and nodded slowly, “Yeah, some of them look familiar, but I don’t know why.”

“They’re all key figures in either the Republican Party or the religious-right.”

Justin accepted these words and glanced at the photos again, it was making sense. He did recognize some of these people from the news. “Okay,” Justin prompted.

“Well,” Brian took a sip of wine before continuing, “each of these people have spoken out publicly against same-sex marriage. Most of them also fall into the category of homophobe.”

Justin didn’t hide his confusion, “So, Brian, a lot of people hate us, I don’t get the point.”

Brian smiled and leaned forward as if he were about to share a secret. “Each of these people,” Brian said as he motioned towards the sheets of photos, “Have been married and divorced at least once.”

Justin’s face remained neutral for several seconds before a smile began to creep across his face. “So, they’re all for preserving marriage from fags, but they’ve all failed at it themselves?”

“Bingo.” Brian said.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“I met with a video production company earlier today, to see about a commercial.”

“Brian, you know how expensive that’ll be,” Justin said doubtfully.

“I know, but just listen. The company I met with is new. A guy left another place and started his own agency, much like I did. So, he’s already agreed to give us a substantial discount, in return I’ve agreed to make use of him in the future.”

“Is he any good?”

“Fantastic,” Brian said, pausing and sitting back while their salads were placed before them. After the waiter left he continued. “He showed me some of his work, I like it. It’s simple and straightforward. I like that, the last thing people need is to decipher some cryptic lame ass commercial because somebody decided to make it too artsy.”

“I agree. So, what did you come up with?”

“A black and white spot, we show these people,” Brian motioned towards the photos, “each person’s face on the screen, then we superimpose text saying how many times they’ve been married and divorced.”

“I like it,” Justin confessed. “But, that seems kind of negative, like you’re happy about it or something.”

Brian considered the words for a moment. “You’re right, but it’s truthful, it may be harsh but we need to make our point.”

“What if,” Justin began, “you intersperse pictures of same-sex couples in between.”

“Explain.”

“Well, say this asshole,” Justin said pointing to a random photo, “was married and divorced twice, you show that, but then, you show a gay couple that has been together for a long time. Maybe you could show the gay couples in color!”

“Bad guys in black and white and the good guys in color?” Brian asked with a chuckle.

“Exactly!” Justin said excitedly.

Brian took a bite from his salad, and contemplated Justin’s suggestion. Truth be told, he liked it. It pointed out the hypocrisy and it put a face on same-sex couples. “I like it.” Brian declared in a matter of fact tone.

Justin smiled and nodded, “Me too, but how much are we talking for the ad?”

“Well, Chuck, the ad guy I met with this morning, said that since my original idea was basically just slides, it wouldn’t be too bad. He said that video, live action is a lot harder to edit. He said the commercial shouldn’t cost any more than $10,000 to make, not including any discount which he’ll give us.”

“Any idea on the size of the discount?” Justin asked.

“No, he’ll need to figure that up after.”

“That’s a lot of money.”

“It is, and that’s just the cost of producing and creating the commercial. We’d need to buy ad-time and slots on television still,” Brian said.

“You know, this would also be an effective newspaper ad, a full page ad, using the same concept. Black and white pictures for the enemy, color pictures for us.”

Brian jotted that down on a small tablet, “Good idea. We can lay that out ourselves, maybe you can work on that? I’ll check into ad costs in the major markets here in Pennsylvania, and also in New York. I’d like to run this ad there while the Republican’s are having their convention.”

Justin nodded, “Yeah, I’ll work on laying it out and I’d love to see those bastards when they see their pictures on television like this." Justin chuckled.

Brian laughed at the man’s enthusiasm but quickly refocused on the task at hand. “Okay, so we have ideas for newspaper and television spots, now we need money.”

“How do other groups like this raise money?” Justin asked.

“Fundraisers,” Brian said.

Justin chuckled, “We’ve had some good luck with those in the past, but this time, you have to promise that you won’t break anything.”

Brian laughed too, “Deal.”

“So, how do we raise money?”

“What do you say about bringing Debbie in? She’s good at that sort of thing.”

Justin was surprised that Brian asked about bringing Debbie into the Concerned Citizens for the Truth, but he had to admit, that the woman was a hard worker in these situations. Justin finally nodded, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

“Okay, let’s ask her to come over to the loft tonight.”

“Invite her over for dinner,” Justin suggested.

“A dinner party, Sunshine?” Brian teased.

“Well, the only thing better than a twosome is a threesome.” Justin smiled.

Brian rolled his eyes, “Don’t go there, this is Debbie we’re talking about. I don’t even want to ponder what she and Carl do.” Brian shuddered for emphasis.

Justin couldn’t help but laugh.

XXXXX

A couple of days later there was a tap on the loft door. Justin went to answer it, finding a rather subdued Debbie standing there as he drew back the sliding door.

"Hey, Deb, come on in," he said.

She glanced inside and then tentatively took a few steps into the loft. She couldn't see Brian anywhere. "So where is he?" she demanded.

"Right here," Brian said with a smirk as he came out of the bathroom.

Debbie jumped and actually turned pale. 

"What's wrong, Deb?" Justin asked noting that she seemed much less than her usual ebullient self.

Debbie took a deep breath. "In all the years that I have known … him," she said tilting her head towards Brian, "I have never been invited to dinner … all by myself."

"Well, Justin suggested a threesome … and I said 'Why not!'," Brian replied his tongue in cheek.

Debbie blanched and spat out, "Asshole!"

"Deb, what's wrong?" Justin asked again. "You don't seem like yourself."

"Is he sick?" she whispered to Justin.

"No, no, nothing like that," Justin replied giving her a hug.

"Oh, thank God! That was all I could think of when you asked me for dinner. I thought Brian was going to get me to help settle his affairs before…" she let her voice trail off as Justin felt her shudder slightly.

"Who was it that said 'Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated'?" Brian said with a grimace.

"I didn't know what to think when Justin called. He wouldn't tell me why he was asking me to dinner and … well … what the fuck was I supposed to think?" she demanded getting some of her bristliness back now that she knew Brian was all right. "So what in hell am I doing here?"

"You're going to eat dinner with us, just like a lady, and then we'll tell you all about it," Brian said in a surprisingly civil voice with only a touch of sarcasm.

"Then let's eat," Debbie said. "I want to know what this is all about."

And so they ate, enjoying each other's company and finding lots to talk about. When Justin brought out some sorbet for dessert Brian began to tell Debbie about what he had seen on television and what the Concerned Citizens for the Truth were working on. She listened intently wondering why they had brought her there to tell her this. When the explanation about the commercial and print ads was finished Debbie sat back in her chair and stared at them.

"Why are you telling me all this? Why not just go out and do it?" she asked.

"We want you to join us," Brian said softly.

Debbie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Me?" she shrieked. "Why would you want me? I don't have any money to buy ad space or expertise to help create propaganda."

"Hey, watch what you're calling propaganda," Brian said defensively.

"Well, it is. Good propaganda, but still propaganda."

"Stop with the propaganda, will ya'!" Brian demanded.

"So what do you want me for?"

"You have contacts," Justin said. "You know Senator Baxter and you belong to all kinds of fag groups, including PFLAG. You can help get the message out."

"Without bankrupting me this time," Brian added.

Debbie chuckled. "Well, at long last I'm good for something!"

"You always have been, Deb. But we seriously need you to help us get this commercial on the air. Could you contact Senator Baxter? Maybe we could show it to her and she could get it to the high muckety-mucks in the Democratic Party," Brian said seriously.

"Please, Deb, join us," Justin asked.

"How could I refuse after all the fun we had at the convention. I can hardly wait to get started."

Brian and Justin smiled at each other. They could always count on Debbie.

"Let's crack open that bottle of brandy," Brian said. "We need a toast."

"That shit gives me indigestion," Debbie said with a scowl.

"Beer?" Brian asked. Debbie nodded. Brian got them each a beer from the fridge and opened them. He handed them out and said, "Here's to the three new Musketeers, the small but elite fighting group called the Concerned Citizens for the Truth!"

They smiled at each other as they clinked bottles and took a drink. This was going to be a very interesting alliance.


	2. Let's Get Political - Again

Debbie arrived at the diner thirty minutes before her shift was due to begin. The Concerned Citizens for the Truth were having a strategy session. As soon as she entered the establishment she saw Brian and Justin in a booth, looking over papers.

Debbie joined them, sliding in next to Justin. Both men greeted her and she looked at the papers splayed out on the table; she was ready to get down to business.

“So?” Debbie asked, looking at Brian.

“I’m meeting with the video guy this afternoon. He has a rough cut of the ad ready, but we’re running into a problem.”

“What?” Justin asked.

“We need more same-sex couples.”

“That shouldn’t be hard,” Debbie said.

“Well,” Brian began almost sheepishly, “That’s not exactly my scene, so…” he trailed off.

Debbie was about to say something sarcastic, but she bit her tongue. “Okay, well that shouldn’t be too much trouble. I know more than a few; I’m sure we can find some.”

“One of my professors at PIFA is gay; he’s been with his partner for a long time,” Justin offered.

“I suppose there is Ben and Mikey too, but…” Brian trailed off.

“What?” Justin asked.

“They haven’t been together long enough,” Debbie said. “We need couples who’ve been with each other for a long time. We need to show those bigoted assholes that two men or two women are just as capable at long term relationships.”

Brian nodded in relief; glad that Debbie understood and didn’t take it personally that he didn’t want Ben and Michael to appear in the ad.

As if by cue, Michael entered the diner and seeing his family already seated, he headed towards the booth and sat next to Brian, “Hey ma, guys.” Looking at his mother, “Coffee please, ma.”

“I’m not on duty, get it yourself,” Debbie huffed.

Justin suppressed a giggle at Michael’s indignant expression.

“Then what’s going on?” Michael asked.

Deciding that the man would eventually find out anyway, Brian took a few minutes to explain what was going on and what they were searching for.

“You know,” Michael said, leaning forward slightly. “When I was dating David, we had brunch with a couple who’d been together for almost fifty years.”

“Fifty years?” Brian and Justin both asked simultaneously.

“Yeah,” Michael responded. “I’ve stayed in touch with them, Ben and I have had dinner with them a few times. Maybe you want to talk to them?”

Brian agreed, “Fifty years is a long time.” He stole a glance at Justin, a look that didn’t go unnoticed by Debbie. “That’s exactly the kind of couple we need for this ad.”

Brian pulled out his cell phone, flipped through the phonebook until he found what he was looking for. Brian wrote the number down. He’d call them a little later; it was still too early.

Satisfied with the morning’s meeting, conversation turned to personal matters for a few minutes before Debbie began her shift, Michael left to go to the store and Brian and Justin walked out of the diner together. Brian’s mind was still spinning on the notion of spending fifty years with someone. Justin remained quiet; he knew that Brian was in deep thought over something, but he wasn’t sure what. Silently they climbed into the car, and Brian dropped Justin off at Daphne's before heading to work himself.

Once at the office, Brian dialed the number Mikey had given him; he told the man on the other end who he was, his relationship to Michael and why he was calling. The two chatted for several minutes before setting up a lunch date; Brian was invited over to their house. If he were completely honest with himself, he was more curious about how two old fags that had been together for half a century lived, than anything else.

XXXXX

The next day Brian arrived at William and Henry's home. He had debated bringing Justin with him, but in a sense this was business. And if he was truthful, he wasn't at all sure he was ready to deal with the conclusions Justin might draw if Brian invited him along.

Brian was surprised as he entered the house. It was a house like any other, not flaming like he had suspected it might with two old queens living there. The men were … comfortable. That seemed the right word to describe it. After fifty years the house was comfortable, as were the men with each other, and as they made Brian feel too.

Lunch was pleasant, salads, which suited Brian perfectly. They chatted a bit about the background of the two men who filled in some of the details of their lives together, things that Michael had forgotten or had never been told. When they sat with some fresh fruit and coffee at the end of the meal, things got a little more personal.

"So, Brian, you think we'd be a good advertisement for same-sex marriage, do you?" Henry asked.

"Fifty years is pretty fucking good by anyone's estimation," Brian replied.

"Yeah, I suppose," William said with a sigh. "But you know that we're not married."

"I know that it's not legal for you to get married in Pennsylvania, and that's what we're trying to change," Brian replied.

"Who's 'we'?" Henry wanted to know.

"I belong to a group called the Concerned Citizens for the Truth. We are trying to show, through this commercial, the hypocrisy of the existing government in trying to legislate the so-called sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, when even its most high profile advocates have had multiple marriages. It's a fucking joke! And you guys are proof that commitment doesn't come just in the form of a man and woman."

"That was quite a speech young man," William smiled.

"I'm in advertising," Brian said sucking in his bottom lip. "Have to know how to express myself," he added.

"Well, I think we would be happy to do the ad for you," Henry said looking at his partner who nodded his approval.

"Thanks, guys. Here's the schedule and when we need you for filming. It's tomorrow if that's all right." Brian handed them a sheet of paper.

"We'll be there," William said folding the sheet of paper and setting it on the table next to him. "We're retired, so we have plenty of time to do something like this. May I ask you something, Brian?" he added.

"Um … sure."

"Do you have a partner?"

"Yeah."

"He must be a lucky man. You should have brought him with you."

"I don't know about the lucky part," Brian said shaking his head. "I'm the lucky one."

William and Henry smiled at each other. "That's what we always say," Henry smiled. "Sounds like you two have a good relationship."

"I … I should be going," Brian said standing up. This was getting a little too personal and sentimental for him.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you. We'll be at the studio tomorrow with bells on," William said shaking Brian's hand.

"You must come visit us again soon," Henry said, "and bring your partner with you."

"Sure," Brian said beating a hasty retreat. Somehow this had scared him, seeing these men happy and together after fifty years. It opened possibilities of things he wasn't sure he knew how to deal with. He quickly got in the Corvette and drove away. 

XXXXX

Heading towards downtown, Brian glanced at the car’s clock and mentally calculated how much time he had before he had to go to the video production company’s office. There was just enough time to grab latte. He navigated the streets of downtown Pittsburgh, parking a block away from the building in which his meeting was scheduled. There was a small café not too far away that he’d eaten at once before; he headed in that direction.

All his life he thought that marriage was a sham. It was for straight people not queers. Then Justin came along and Brian could actually begin to understand the attraction that made people declare their love to one another publicly and create a life together. He understood it, but was still terrified of it.

He knew Justin loved him; and Brian realized he’d known this for a long time, but lately it seemed easier and more natural when he thought of it, or when he heard it or when Justin himself would say the three magical words to him.

His Brian-Stud-of-Liberty-Avenue-Kinney persona often wanted to shoot off a sarcastic phrase or two when Justin would say the words, but lately Brian had begun to accept them, even look forward to hearing them.

Brian found the café and was quickly seated; he ordered his coffee and patiently waited. He looked out at the traffic going by, at the busy sidewalk and the people bustling around. He wondered how many of those people had significant others. How many of them truly felt loved and gave their love in return. He also couldn’t help but wonder how many of them were lonely. How many were hoping for someone to love and to love them but had so far never been in that position. Brian also couldn’t help but wonder how many would never find someone. But he had. That was no longer a question in his mind.

He had Justin. He loved Justin; there was no arguing or denying it. It was the truth. Maybe he hadn’t admitted it aloud, but he loved the man.

Brian’s latte arrived; he slowly sipped it while continuing to watch people stream by. Henry and William had seemed so calm and at peace with one another. They loved each other; Brian saw it every time they glanced at one another, even after fifty years.

Fifty years was a long time. Brian couldn’t help but wonder if he’d even be alive in fifty years. Or Justin for that matter, Brian wondered as his thoughts were drawn back to the prom. Maybe that was the secret, he thought to himself. Maybe the length of time didn’t matter; rather it was what you did in that time and who you did it with. After all, look at Ben and Michael, they both knew they wouldn’t have fifty years together, but it didn’t stop them from committing to one another.

Brian finished his coffee. He knew he had to have a talk with Justin about this. At the very least he owed it to Justin, and also to himself.

Brian dropped some money on the table and left. He took his time in walking the short distance to his meeting.

An hour later, finished with the meeting and feeling very excited after seeing the initial version of the commercial, he called Justin’s cell.

“Yeah?” Justin answered.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Justin said; the smile evident even through the phone.

“Any plans for tonight?”

“None. You?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner?” Brian asked.

“Of course. I’m just finishing some stuff up at school now.”

“Meet me at the Tower Grille over on 6th, at 7?”

“I’ll be there.” Justin said as he disconnected his phone.

“Me too,” Brian said with a smile as he closed his own phone.

XXXXX

A few hours later Brian had finished all he could do for the commercial until they filmed the next day. He had work to do at Kinnetik and had spent a couple of hours there. He used his washroom at Kinnetik to shower and change into a fresh suit that he kept there for just such purposes.

He arrived at the Tower Grille just before seven. The maitre d' had just seated him when he saw Justin appear in the doorway. He stood up so Justin could see him, and his partner made his way over. He had changed into dress pants and a blue silk sweater that Brian had given him at Christmas.

"You look good enough to eat," Brian whispered as Justin sat down.

"Later, big guy," Justin grinned at him.

Brian felt his cock jump at all those words implied. "Definitely later," Brian groaned. "Want a drink or some wine?"

"Wine would be good," Justin said picking up the menu.

The waiter appeared on cue and Brian ordered a bottle of red. They sipped the wine as they decided what they wanted to eat. When the waiter returned, they placed their orders and sat back to savor the wine.

"How do you like your date so far?" Brian asked with a smirk.

Justin smiled one of his best smiles. "I'm glad to see that you remembered your promise from Boston."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I like it fine, but this is such a hetero place. How did you decide to come here?"

"I've come here for a lot of business dinners. They have great steaks."

Justin looked around. He could see that the couple at the next table were flirting with each other. She was rubbing her shoe up and down the guy's leg. Justin looked away.

"What's wrong?" Brian asked seeing the look on Justin's face.

"I was just wondering what people would do if I started flirting with you like that."

"They wouldn't do anything, because you would be more subtle."

"Would I?" Justin asked the challenge clear in his voice.

"I would fucking hope so. I have to bring clients here." Brian felt Justin's shoe move up his pant leg rubbing in a very suggestive way. He felt his cock grow hard as the foot slid between his thighs. "Justin," Brian said sternly.

"I want you," Justin mouthed as his foot made contact with Brian's balls. Brian's legs had opened involuntarily as Justin continued his climb up the inside of the man's thigh.

"Justin," Brian warned again, but it was more a growl of need than one that actually demanded that Justin stop.

"I'm just doing what they're doing," Justin said innocently indicating the couple. Her foot was now almost as far up the guy's leg as Justin's was. "It's all the same, isn't it?"

"What?" Brian gasped as Justin's foot made contact with his dick.

"Sex, it's all the same. You insert piece A into slot B," he said and increased the pressure of his foot against Brian's cock. He rubbed up and down a couple of times.

"Justin," Brian groaned.

"Want to get out of here?" Justin asked.

"God, yes."

"Then let's go," Justin said standing up.

Brian stood, holding his hand in front of his erection as he fished for money to leave on the table. He didn't have enough cash. They'd have to wait for a credit card or… 

"Add the dinner and wine to Kinnetik's tab," Brian said as they made their way past the maitre d'.

"Certainly, Mr. Kinney," the man replied with a smirk. "Was there a problem? I hope everything was to your satisfaction, sir."

"Yes," Brian mumbled. "Everything was definitely to my satisfaction, but I have to get back to Kinnetik. I have a piece to insert in a slot."

The maitre d' looked at Brian like he was crazy and Justin's giggles only reinforced that impression as he was dragged out of the restaurant.

"Where's the car?" Justin asked as they emerged from the building.

"I left it at Kinnetik two blocks over," Brian stated.

"Shit!" Justin responded.

"You started this, Sunshine. Get that ass of yours moving. My piece needs its slot right now."

Brian marched them the two blocks to Kinnetik, unlocked the door, dragged Justin into his office and began ripping their clothes off. In moments Brian had his dick firmly planted in Justin's slot and he rode him hard. 

Afterwards they lay wrapped around each other on the sofa.

"You are a very bad boy," Brian said. "I'm hungry. I had to pay for food we didn't eat, and I'm starving."

"I could give you some protein," Justin giggled.

"What's got into you tonight?"

"I don't know. Being on a date with you made me … giddy." Justin giggled for a couple of minutes. 

Brian stared at him. "Shall we order a pizza or go home?"

"We could go back to the Tower Grille."

"I don't think so. Once a night is enough."

"Never enough," Justin whispered. "Let's order a pizza, have it delivered to the loft, and we'll head there before it arrives."

"Sounds good."

"Let's go for it," Justin said picking up the phone next to the sofa. He placed his order as Brian kneaded his ass. "Stop that. We need to leave so we can be home to meet the pizza guy."

Brian groaned. "Let's go then, before my piece A gets all riled up again."

"Save it for dessert."

"Deal," Brian said as he pulled on his pants. "Hurry up. Tonight I'm looking forward to dessert."

Justin giggled as they made their way outside and to the Corvette.

XXXXX

The following evening Brian and Justin met Debbie at Michael and Ben’s apartment. The Concerned Citizens for the Truth’s membership had increased by two when Michael had told Brian earlier in the day that he and Ben wanted to do their part. The finished commercial arrived at Kinnetik by five that afternoon and Brian quickly called all involved to let them know it was finished.

“How is it?” Debbie nearly shouted as Brian and Justin entered the Bruckner-Novotny residence.

”I haven’t seen it yet,” Brian stated flatly.

“Why not?” Michael asked as he greeted his two friends.

“I thought we should all see it together.”

Justin grabbed the tape from Brian and tossed it to Ben; the man caught it and quickly loaded it into the waiting VCR. Once the entire group was seated, Ben pushed play and took a seat next to Michael.

The commercial played and the audience remained totally silent for several minutes after the screen faded to black.

“Well?” Justin finally asked, looking at the other members of Concerned Citizens for the Truth.

“It was fucking amazing!” Deb shouted.

“I agree,” Ben said. “It shows the hypocrisy and is very straightforward.”

Michael nodded with his husband in agreement.

Everyone finally looked to the one member of the group who’d not commented yet. “What do you think, Brian?” Justin asked.

“I…” Brian looked at each pair of eyes staring at him. “I like it.”

“I’ll call Diane tomorrow and ask her if she’d be willing to take a look at it.” Debbie said as she pushed herself up from the couch and went to the kitchen to fix snacks.

“You really think she’d use it?” Michael asked.

“Well,” Debbie said as she plopped a tray on the table and began pulling off the plastic wrap. “She might not be able to, but if she likes it, I’m sure she could get it to those who could use it.”

Ben and Debbie passed out plates of food and the group began talking amongst themselves, catching up on the events of the past few days. Brian kept his eyes on Justin; watching the young man interact with his adopted family. He’d intended to have a talk with Justin at the restaurant the previous evening, but as happened often in their relationship, sex took center stage.

Justin, feeling Brian’s eyes on him, looked at his lover and gave him a smile. Brian’s features immediately softened and he returned the smile. Justin slowly made his way over to Brian and quietly whispered, “What’s up?”

Brian pulled Justin onto his lap and gave the blond a gentle kiss. “Why do you assume something’s up?”

“Because I know you,” Justin said with a kind of ‘duh’ tone.

Brian smiled and once again thought of Henry and William's ease of interaction. “You do, don’t you,” Brian stated.

“So?”

“Not now,” Brian said giving the man another kiss. “Later.”

Justin nodded, gave Brian a kiss and got off the man’s lap, leaving Brian with his thoughts.

XXXXX

A few days later the Concerned Citizens for the Truth reassembled at Debbie's house. Debbie had taken the tape to Diane Baxter who had been impressed with it. She had shown it to some of her contacts hoping to get the Kerry campaign to use it as part of their national program. However, the people Diane showed it to did not think that was likely to happen. When Debbie told the group what Diane had relayed back to her they were all indignant.

"What the fuck's their problem?" Brian demanded.

"How can they deny the hypocrisy of these Republicans who support a constitutional ban on gay marriage?" Ben asked.

"Did they think it was too controversial?" Justin wanted to know.

"Tell us what their reasoning is, Ma," Michael said.

"Give me a fucking chance, will you!" Debbie said. When they all remained silent she cleared her throat to continue. Brian glowered at her. The others looked expectantly at her. "Diane said the consensus was that the tape was an attack on the Republicans, not a defense of gay marriage."

"Shit!" Brian reacted. He had spent a lot of time and effort on that fucking commercial.

"So it was all for nothing? They won't use it?" Justin asked. Debbie shook her head.

"I can't believe they refused it," Michael said.

"I fucking can!" Brian reacted. "I should have known they didn't really want to go after those buggers. Politicians are all hypocrites."

"Not all of them," Debbie said. "Diane did her best."

"And look where that got us," Brian retorted.

"Brian," Justin said softly. "You tried. That's the main thing."

Brian snorted his disapproval. He hated to fail.

"It doesn't do anything to get Michael and Ben any closer to legal marriage," Debbie said looking at her two boys.

"We're fine," Ben said trying to make his almost mother-in-law feel better.

"Thanks, Ben," Debbie replied.

Michael had been silent all this time. The wheels were turning in his head. He knew how hard Brian had worked to make the commercial. He knew how much his mother wanted him and Ben to be able to have a legal marriage in the United States. He knew Ben had been hurt by the fiasco at the border when they came back from Canada. There should be something they could do.

"I have an idea," Michael said suddenly.

"I thought I smelled burning rubber," Brian scowled knowing that Michael's ideas often led to more problems than they solved.

"Thanks for nothing!" Michael shot back.

Brian looked slightly sorry as he asked, "So what's your brainstorm?"

"They think the commercial is an attack on the Republicans, right?"

"So!" Brian replied. He had intended it as an attack on the bastards he had seen denouncing same sex marriage on the TV.

"What if it could be made into something else?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if there was a voice-over or something that said, 'Why should these people have the right to marry and divorce at will when these committed partners don't even have the right to marry at all?'" Michael said.

"You mean make it a fairness issue?" Brian asked thoughtfully. "That's what got me involved in this crusade in the first place. I should have thought of that."

"By George, I think you've got something there," Ben said giving Michael a kiss.

"What if we quoted something like 'all men are created equal, so where's the equality in this?'" Justin said.

"Oh, that's good, Sunshine," Debbie said with a smile. "Do you think you could do something like that, Brian?"

"I sure as fuck can. But will it make a difference to Diane and the people she shows it to?"

"All we can do is try," Debbie added.

"I'll get on it right away," Brian said standing up and retrieving the tape. He'd get his technician working on the voice-over right away. "Thanks, Mikey. You may have saved the day."

Michael grinned, basking in the glow of Brian's praise. "Good job, Zephyr," Justin chuckled as he followed Brian to the door.

"Thanks, Boy Wonder," Michael replied as Ben leaned over and gave him a big kiss.


	3. Let's Get Political - Again

The next two days passed in a blur. Justin quietly did his own thing as he watched from a distance as Brian typed away on his computer and spent the vast majority of his time on the phone. As if the continuing success of Kinnetik wasn’t enough, Brian had truly invested himself into the Concerned Citizens for the Truth. When Brian was in the loft, Justin would occasionally slip a plate of food in front of Brian. The man would all but grunt “thanks” and pick at it while continuing his work. Justin knew that Cynthia was making sure Brian ate while he was in the office.

Justin glanced at the clock; it was nearly one in the morning. “Brian?”

“Huh?” The brunet asked without looking up from his laptop.

“You need your rest.”

“It isn’t that late, I’m fine.” Brian said, trailing off as he noticed the time.

Justin crawled off the couch and made his way towards Brian. Standing behind the older man, Justin gently began massaging Brian’s shoulders. “I know this is important to you, Brian. It’s important to me too. Wearing yourself out though won’t make it any better?”

Brian exhaled loudly, pressed further back into his chair and focused on the sensation of Justin’s fingers kneading his flesh. “I know. I just want to get it done.”

“How much more is there?”

“Not much. I’m meeting with the video production guy again tomorrow and he’s supposed to add the new stuff.” Brian spun around in his chair and pulled Justin onto his lap. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Justin said with a smile. “Feel better?”

Brian nodded and his voice took on a serious tone, “You always make me feel better, Sunshine.”

Justin couldn’t help but give the man a smile.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Brian said as he and Justin stood and the two made their way to the bedroom.

A short time later Brian lay in bed with Justin lying against him, breathing softly and sound asleep. Brian tipped his head so that he could look at Justin. Truth be told, he was hard at work on the ad, but more than anything he’d been avoiding Justin… avoiding the talk that he knew they needed to have. Brian’s mind wandered back to William and Henry and their lifetime together. He didn’t know why, but since meeting them – and even before that – his attention had been focused on his relationship with Justin. He knew how he felt about Justin. He stopped fighting the feelings and was beginning to learn to accept and appreciate them.

Brian leaned over and gave Justin a kiss on the forehead before pulling the duvet up to cover them and drifting off into his own dream world.

XXXXX

Brian dropped the tape off at the video production place on his way to work. That afternoon he left Kinnetik and headed back to see the new and improved finished product. He had to admit that Michael did come up with a good idea. Now it all depended on Senator Baxter. Brian climbed into the Corvette and quickly sped through the congested city streets – he arrived at the local Democratic Party headquarters just as a young woman was locking up the front door. She let him in and listened as he explained who he was and what the tape was about. She explained to Brian that Senator Baxter had spoken personally to her earlier in the day and she was waiting on the tape.

Brian left the building and made his way towards the loft. He’d done all he could. Now it was up to the Senator and her skills as a politician.

XXXXX

Several days went by with no response from Senator Baxter. Brian and the other Concerned Citizens for the Truth hoped that she was out selling the tape to the Kerry campaign. It was going to be a tough sell no matter how you looked at it. Kerry had made it clear along the way and specifically in the debates that he supported the rights of same sex couples to have a civil union or sign up as domestic partners, but he did not support same sex marriage. None of them were at all sure that their tape would change that attitude.

Brian had lots of work to catch up on at Kinnetik. He tried to put the tape out of his mind and concentrate. He had spent far too much time and effort on the fucking commercial. He didn't even fucking believe in same sex marriage, but he knew lots of people did. He had done it for Michael and Ben, and for Debbie, and maybe someday for him and Justin. Christ, he couldn't believe his mind was edging in that direction. Thoughts of him and Justin married were sacrilege as far as he was concerned. And he knew a fucking lot about sacrilege.

Refocusing on the bubble gum ad he was working on, Brian tried to force such thoughts out of his head, but they just wouldn't let him be. Finally he stood up and grabbed his coat. He walked out to Cynthia's office.

"I'm going out for a while. I won't be back."

She nodded, about to ask him where he was going, but he had already turned and was walking out the door. She wondered what was going on with him. He had seemed restless and distracted for several days now.

Brian opened the door to the comic shop and Michael's face lit up with pleasure as he saw his friend.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?" Michael asked with a smile.

"Research," Brian replied. It was as good an answer as any.

"Research on what?"

"I'm working on an account for Double Bubble."

"Double Bubble? I didn't even know they were still in business."

"That's exactly why they need me."

"I guess so," Michael chuckled. "So why has Double Bubble brought you here?"

"I think they need to advertise in comic books. That's the target market they're after."

"I think they used to do that, but I don't remember one of their ads being in a comic for a long time."

"They went through a phase with sugarless gums that really took away their market share. They cut way back on advertising to save money. Exactly the wrong thing to do."

"So what do you want from me?" Michael asked. "Copies of their old ads for research?"

"Hell no! I don't want to look at their ancient crap. I want to know where the best placement of an ad in a comic would be. Where are kids most likely to pay attention to it?"

"Besides the cover you mean?"

"Yeah, back cover?"

"No, absolutely not. The back cover is the last thing they look at."

"Really?"

"You want it on the bottom of the first page," Michael said with certainty.

"You're sure about that?"

"Definitely."

"See, I knew I came to the right place," Brian said giving Michael a kiss and turning to leave. "Oh, by the way," he said seemingly as an afterthought, "has Deb heard anything from Senator Baxter?"

Michael shook his head. "She's getting worried because it's taking so long. The election isn't that far away."

"Yeah. I hope our tape will make a difference."

"Even if they don't use it, we tried."

"I don't want to just try. I like to win."

"I know," Michael said with a grin.

"Are you and Ben happy?" Brian asked out of the blue.

"Of course we are," Michael said with a frown. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you're sort of married. I just wondered if it made any difference."

"It's not really official here, but it was great having the ceremony in Canada. I feel like an old married woman."

Brian grimaced. That was definitely not the feeling he was going for. "Thanks for your help, Mikey." And he was gone.

XXXXX

Brian left Michael’s shop and was heading towards home when his cell went off. “What?” Brian all but shouted into the phone

“Brian?”

Brian took a deep breath and pulled his emotions under control, “Deb?”

“Yeah, is everything all right?”

“I’m just busy, Deb. What do you need?”

“I heard from Senator Baxter.”

Brian waited for Debbie to continue. When she didn’t he prompted her, “And?”

“The Kerry people declined to pick up the ad.”

Brian was silent.

“Brian? Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, Deb, I’ll talk to you later.” Brian ended the call and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat just as he pulled up in front of the loft. He got out of his car and slammed the door shut; he headed into the building and took the stairs two at a time. He fumbled with his door key, finally unlocking the door and opening it. He walked into his loft and immediately saw Justin sitting at the table working on a project. Brian exhaled wishing that he had the loft to himself, at least for a little while. He needed space right now.

Heading towards the bedroom, he could tell that Justin was so involved in whatever it was that he was doing that the blond was oblivious to his arrival. Brian stood at the bottom of the bedroom stairs for several moments and stared at his lover.

Justin felt eyes on him and turned to see Brian staring at him. “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in.”

Brian remained stoic. Justin stood and began making his way to Brian, immediately picking up on the older man’s mood. “What’s wrong?”

When Brian didn’t respond Justin reached out to touch his arm, but Brian pulled back before contact was made. “Just leave me alone.” Brian said quietly, wanting more than anything to be alone at that moment, but for some reason his feet wouldn’t let him move.

“Brian, what the hell is the matter with you?” Justin asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Just leave me the fuck alone!” Brian shouted. Gaining control of his legs he began to go up the few steps into his bedroom, he paused and looked at Justin’s mess on the table and nodded towards it. “And clean that mess up. This isn’t a fucking hotel, Justin.”

Justin wasn’t about to argue. He quickly gathered his artwork and papers, slid them into his portfolio and slipped out of the loft. The last thing he heard was the sound of the shower running.

XXXXX

Michael was just closing the shop when the bell indicated one last customer. He sighed as he finished tallying his sales with what the computer said. Never turn down a sale. He looked up.

"Justin," he said.

"Yeah, do you know what the fuck is the matter with Brian?"

"He was here a while ago, but he seemed … fine."

"He just came home, screamed at me to clean up my mess and basically told me to get out."

"And you did?"

"When he's like that, it's a good idea to give him some space. There's no point in trying to reason with him."

"Yeah, he can be a little hard to deal with sometimes."

 

"You can fucking say that again! Did he say anything unusual to you?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I'm just trying to figure out what set him off."

"He was doing research for a Double Bubble gum ad," Michael explained.

"Double Bubble? I thought they went out of business."

"Nope. Brian's working on a new campaign for them."

"Did he say anything else?"

"He asked if Ben and I were happy being married?"

"That's weird," Justin said with a frown. "He never asks if anybody is happy."

"I think he's worried that we haven't heard if Kerry will use the tape."

"Haven't you heard anything?"

Michael shook his head. "I could call Ma and see if she has. Maybe she knows what is wrong with Brian."

Michael picked up the phone and hit the speed dial for the diner. When he got his mother she was in a hurry as the dinner rush was just beginning.

"Have you heard anything from Senator Baxter about the tape?" Michael asked.

"I told Brian earlier that they won't use it," Debbie said. "I thought that asshole would let you know."

"Well, he didn't. Have you seen him since?" 

"No, is something wrong?"

"No, everything's all right. Bye, Ma."

"So what did she say?" Justin asked.

"They turned down the tape. That must be what Brian's pissed about."

Justin looked thoughtful. "So that's it."

"What are you going to do?"

"I 'm going to get Thai takeout, a couple of bottles of wine, and I'm going to fuck him senseless," Justin declared.

"Sounds like a plan," Michael said with a grin as Justin exited the shop.

XXXXX

Justin slid the door back and stepped into the dark loft. The small amount of light pouring in from the landing wasn’t helping. He stood still waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim conditions. He could feel Brian’s presence in the room. “Brian?”

“You came back,” a quiet voice stated.

“Of course I did. Did you think I wouldn’t?” Justin asked as he took another step forward.

“I didn’t know to be honest,” Brian said.

Justin chuckled as he slowly felt his way towards the island so he could set the wine and food down. “You really think that getting after me for my mess would make me leave you?”

“I don’t know,” Brian confessed. “I guess… well… it doesn’t matter.”

“You guess what? Tell me,” Justin had put the stuff down and was walking towards the couch where Brian’s voice was coming from.

“It’s not important,” Brian said with finality.

“Don’t give me that shit, Brian.” Justin said, his voice taking on a hint of anger. “You’re always so fucking quick to shut me out. I know you think you’re protecting me, but I’m a big boy. Now tell me what the fuck is going on, obviously it’s more than just the ad being rejected.”

“You heard?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuckers,” Brian said as he took a drink from his glass.

“Their loss,” Justin said.

“No,” Brian said quietly. “It’s our loss, our community’s loss.”

Justin stumbled slightly as he sat on the opposite end of the couch as Brian. “Yeah, maybe so, on the other hand maybe Kerry will be the kind of leader our community needs.”

“Maybe,” Brian said noncommittally.

“Brian, I know there’s something else that’s bothering you, spill.”

Brian took another drink and pondered Justin’s words. “William and Henry, the two old guys from the ad, they invited us over for dinner some time.”

“That sounds like fun.” Justin said. “Is that what’s bothering you? Having to have dinner with a couple of old guys?”

Brian ignored Justin’s question and asked one of his own. “Do you think about what you’ll be doing when you’re that age? Or… who you’ll be with?”

“Is this about you and me?” Justin asked.

“No,” Brian said quickly, too quickly.

“Brian,” Justin said quietly as he inched closer to the other man who he could see silhouetted against the soft street lights outside. “Brian, listen to me. I love you. You make me feel things that no one else does. You can kick me out as many times as you want,” Justin said, referring to Brian all but ordering him to leave earlier that evening, “But I’ll come back every time.”

“I’m sorry, Justin. This is your home; I shouldn’t have acted like that.” Brian said sincerely.

“Look, I know you never planned on having a boyfriend or any of this other… stuff, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have it. It’s up to you to take what you want.”

“How many more chances will you give?” Brian asked. “How many times can I fuck up before you’ll realize I’m not worth the effort?”

Justin moved closer to Brian, close enough that he could feel the man’s body heat but not yet touching. “I don’t know to be honest, Brian, but honestly as long as I believe that you feel something for me, and I for you, then you can kick me out on my ass every day and I’ll come back.”

“Persistent little shit, aren’t you?” Brian asked his voice soft and full of love for the blond.

“So I’ve been told.”

“So,” Brian asked, reaching out and putting his hand on Justin’s thigh, “you think I need to be more proactive and take what I want?”

“Uh huh, I do.”

Brian pulled Justin onto his lap and gently ran the tips of his fingers over Justin’s face before tenderly kissing Justin’s forehead, silently telling Justin what he couldn’t say out loud.

“I love you too, Brian. Now, if your little drama queen moment is over, I brought dinner.”

XXXXX

A few days later Brian and Justin rang the bell at William and Henry's house. Brian had brought a very nice bottle of wine and they were both decked out in casual but elegant duds. Henry answered the door.

"Brian," he said. "Come in. And you must be Justin."

"Nice to meet you," Justin said shaking the man's hand.

"We've been looking forward to meeting you. We had such a nice lunch with Brian the other day."

"It was nice of you to invite us," Justin said. They got rid of their jackets and sat down on the couch. 

William appeared from the kitchen and greeted them too. "I'm cooking duck a l'orange," he told them. "It should be ready before long."

Justin could feel Brian groan. Duck and orange sauce would be calorie city as far as Brian was concerned. Justin thought he would probably end up eating both their portions if Brian could figure a way to get it onto his plate.

"Now don't worry about calories or fat. I'm an expert at adapting recipes and taking out unneeded fat and sugar. At our age we have to be careful. I think you'll really love it."

Justin glanced at Brian. He had a smile plastered on his face. Justin knew it was just a façade. If there was anything Brian hated more than fat and carbs after seven it was imitation food that had been made to resemble something it wasn't. It would probably taste like shit. Justin groaned inwardly. He was the one who would have to eat it.

Henry appeared with a pitcher of martinis which he said had been stirred, not shaken. That was the only way to prepare them as far as he was concerned. Gin had never been Brian or Justin's favorite drink, but liquor was liquor. They each took a glass and sipped. They were actually quite good. Justin had to ask what Henry did to them.

"I have a secret ingredient," Henry said with a conspiratorial whisper.

"Are you going to share?" Justin asked with a chuckle.

"It's a secret," Henry laughed. "Maybe I'll tell you before you leave."

"If we pass the acceptable company test?" Justin said.

"Something like that," Henry admitted noting the quick wit of this young man. He and Brian made a formidable pair. Henry turned his attention to Brian.

"You're quiet tonight," Henry said to Brian. Justin squeezed Brian's leg.

"I have some bad news about the ad you gentlemen helped me with," Brian said slowly.

"They don't want it," William said.

"That's right," Brian said sadly.

"We expected that might be the outcome," Henry admitted. "I thought we might be able to get legally married before one of us passes on, but I guess that's not about to happen."

William leaned down and gave Henry a kiss. "We're not dead yet," he whispered.

Henry looked at his partner of fifty years and there was such love in the look that both Brian and Justin blinked and looked away.

"You would still get married after all this time?" Justin asked after a minute or two.

"It would be the consummate ending to our relationship," William said with a smile. "Wouldn't it, Henry?"

"It's not going to change anything one way or the other," Henry said patting his partner's hand. "You'll still be stuck with me."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," William stated. He cleared his throat. "Listen to us, acting like a couple of school girls. I didn't mean to spoil your appetite," he said with a chuckle.

"Not at all," Brian replied. Justin looked at him and could swear there was a tear in the corner of his eye. Suddenly he felt Brian's fingers entwine with his and squeeze gently. Justin squeezed back. He suddenly felt very happy. There was no place he'd rather be. 

Dinner was interesting. Brian and Justin heard the history of Henry and William, how they had got together in the navy, how they had been together ever since. Brian and Justin could see and hear the love between the two men. Brian and Justin told their story in return, even the bad parts, including the prom and the bashing. They didn't mention Ethan by name but they said they had split up for awhile.

William and Henry told their own story of being apart. They had been fighting for months about seven years after the got together. They swore there was truth to the seven year itch. So they had split up for awhile, but neither had been happy without the other being around. They told Brian and Justin to watch out for that seventh year, and be extra nice to each other.

The dinner was very good despite the trepidation of Justin and Brian. William was an excellent cook. Justin even asked for the duck recipe thinking he might make it for Brian since the man hadn't slid all of his onto Justin's plate. Justin had actually seen Brian eat at least half of what he was given.

After dinner they sat at the table with fresh fruit and cheese and mugs of coffee. It was very warm and homey and sweet. Justin wondered if his life could ever be like this with Brian … somewhere down the road.

"Has it always been easy for you two?" Justin asked wanting to know. These men made it seem so easy.

Both men snorted. "Not with this asshole," William said. "He fought me every inch of the way."

"That's what made our time together so interesting," Henry said with a chuckle.

"So you had to work at your relationship?" Justin asked wanting more information.

"I wouldn't say that. A relationship that's work is not likely to succeed," William said. "It should be fun and exciting and a source of constant adventure and wonder, but it should never be work. Now that doesn't mean that it's easy. There have been lots of fights and disagreements, but then there's makeup sex." They smiled at each other.

"Sounds a bit like our relationship, doesn't it, Brian?" Justin said.

Brian snorted but he also nodded his head in agreement. "We should probably get going."

"We're getting into dicey territory for Brian," Justin explained. "Relationships aren't his thing."

"He seems to be doing pretty well with this one," Henry said with a smile.

As they reached the door, Brian and Justin thanked their hosts for a lovely evening. They were about to leave when William said, "You should tell them."

Henry looked at his partner and smiled. "You boys have passed the acceptable company test. A dash of bitters, ever so slight, but just enough to cut the taste of the gin."

"So technically it's not a martini," Brian said.

"It's our version of one, just like this relationship is our version of what a marriage should be. You have to find what works for you, and then screw the skeptics," Henry said.

"Sounds like a philosophy for you, Brian," Justin said with a chuckle.

All the way home Brian had something new to mull around in his head.


	4. Let's Get Political - Again

“Are you ready?”

“No,” Brian growled as he finished zipping his suitcase up.

“Brian, we need to get moving.” Justin said, stating the obvious

“No shit, twat.”

Justin sighed and ignored the temptation to holler at Brian. “Okay, okay, I don’t want to fight, but we need to get going.” Justin ran into the kitchen and grabbed his ‘to do’ list off the island.

“Fuck!” Brian shouted as his suitcase all but popped open.

“Do you really need all that shit?” Justin asked as he looked over at his own small suitcase.

“Do you really need that pretty blond head on your shoulders?” Brian asked with a glare.

Justin suppressed a chuckle and held his hands up in mock surrender. Focusing on the list in his hand, the blond began to check things off. “Did you get the reservations at the inn?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm, how about the tuxes, did you pick those up?”

“No, we’ll get them on the way out of town.”

“Fine,” Justin sighed.

Brian gave him a quick glance and realized for the first time just how nervous Justin was. Brian stood up, and moved to stand in front of his partner; wrapping his arms around Justin’s waist, Brian pulled him close and looked into the uncertain blue eyes. “Justin, calm down. We’ve got the reservations, we’ve got the justice of the peace lined up, the invitations were all sent and people responded, we’ll get our clothes, and… fuck, I’ve even got a jack and extra tire packed in the back of the Corvette just in case.” Justin smiled as he recalled Michael having told him about Mysterious Marilyn and their ill fated New York road trip.

“I know, I – I just want everything to be right. After all, you only get married once, right?”

Brian smiled, kissed Justin’s forehead and returned to his suitcase. “Justin,” Brian paused and looked to his blond, “you know this isn’t a marriage, just a civil union, and it’s only good in Vermont.”

“I know, Brian, but it doesn’t matter. Now get your ass in gear!” Justin smiled.

“Yes, sir,” Brian chuckled as he continued packing.

They were about to go out the door when Brian went back to his desk.

"Briiiaaan," Justin whined. "What the fuck are you doing? We have to get going."

Brian retrieved the small box from the drawer of his desk and stuffed it into his carry-all. He walked quickly to the door of the loft and locked it behind him. He didn't know how this would turn out and he hoped to hell that he didn't regret everything he had arranged.

XXXX

The Corvette slid effortlessly along the interstate. Driving at high speed on a smooth, flat road was great. Brian was enjoying himself and his car and his companion. He glanced over at Justin who was looking at the scenery and bopping his head to the song playing on the radio.

"Enjoying yourself, Sunshine?" Brian asked with a smile,

"Yep. I love going anywhere with you. This is going to be so great."

"Will it make up for that other time you went by yourself?"

Justin frowned. He knew that had been the beginning of him leaving Brian for Ethan. He quickly squashed that thought. A wedding, sort of, in Vermont was what he was looking forward to and nothing was going to ruin that for him. He was going to enjoy his time with Brian.

"It's going to be way better than that other time. We're going to be together and have a great time."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Save that for the ceremony."

Justin chuckled and play punched Brian in the arm. Some day!

"I'm so glad your commercial got used," Justin said suddenly.

"So am I. Even if it wasn't quite in the way we envisaged."

"Senator Baxter was pretty smart to send copies to all the state GLBT associations whose states have amendments about banning gay marriage on their ballots."

Brian nodded. "No grass grows under her. Debbie told me that five state groups have funded it to run on TV in their local markets. Maybe some good will come out of it after all."

"Thanks to you," Justin said.

"Thanks to the Concerned Citizens for the Truth and to Senator Baxter and to William and Henry."

"I guess we all had a hand in it. This election is going to be so close. It might make a difference."

"Let's not think about that for the weekend. This is supposed to be an enjoyable time away."

"Among other things," Justin grinned.

"Among other things," Brian agreed.

XXXXX

“Fuck,” Brian groaned as he climbed out of the car rubbing his lower back.

Justin suppressed a chuckle and comment about Brian’s age. The Corvette was great for running around town, but it wasn’t made for long haul road trips.

Brian saw the expressions running across Justin’s face and smirked at the blond, “Don’t even go there, Sunshine, or your ass is mine.”

Justin hefted both his bag and Brian’s over his shoulder and headed towards the front of the inn. “I wouldn’t dream of it, besides, you know my ass is yours anytime you want it.”

“Smartass,” Brian chuckled.

While Brian checked in with the inn owners, Justin dropped the luggage in the entry and ran back out to the car to retrieve their tuxes. By the time he returned Brian was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

“All set?” Justin asked as he spotted Brian obviously waiting for him.

“Yeah,” Brian replied, turning away and ascending the curved staircase.

“Hey! How about a little help here?”

Brian paused and turned to look at Justin. “I think you can handle a couple of little bags and two tuxes.”

“But – But – I…” Justin sputtered.

Brian smiled sweetly and blew Justin a quick kiss before turning away and continuing moving upstairs. Brian walked down the short hall until he came to their room; he opened the door with a thick metal key, pleased that high technology door cards weren’t used, they’d ruin the ambiance. Brian moved into their small and well appointed corner suite. It was warm and cozy, and fit the bill as far as he was concerned. He’d thought it seemed suitably romantic, but he’d be damned if he’d confess that… at least out loud.

Brian left the door open, went to the bed, kicked off his shoes and lay on his back. Brian smiled to no one in particular; the stiffness he’d felt after they arrived was all but gone; he just wanted to teach Justin a lesson. Just then he heard Justin huffing and puffing, as he entered the suite, the younger man dramatically tossed the luggage to the floor and hung the tuxes up in the closet before closing the door and joining Brian on the bed.

Brian turned to look at Justin and found a rather pissed blond glaring at him. Brian smiled widely, melting Justin’s frosty demeanor as he returned the older man’s smile.

Brian leaned over and gave Justin a chaste kiss after which both men lay back, next to each other, silent in their own thoughts.

Justin finally broke the silence, “I’m glad we’re both here this time. I’m sorry I was such a brat back then.” Justin said referring to having run off to Vermont without Brian and spending the entire time sulking.

“Yeah, well,” Brian sighed, “I could have handled that a little bit better too.”

Justin nodded in agreement and appreciated Brian’s admission.

“So,” Brian asked, as he sat up. “What shall we do first?”

XXXXX

They ended up going down to the desk and verifying the arrangements for the ceremony the next day. They were shown the restaurant which would be reset in the morning for the ceremony. They asked for a list of who had checked in. Almost everyone was there, but they all seemed to have gone out for dinner. 

There didn't seem to be much else they could do. The manager recommended some restaurants in town but neither Brian nor Justin felt like getting back into the car having sat for so many hours already. They asked about room service and were told the limited menu that they could select from. They each made a choice and retired up to their room.

While they waited for their food, they stepped out onto the little balcony beside their room and breathed in the clear, cold air of Vermont. 

"It's beautiful here, even without the snow," Justin said.

"We should come back and snowboard sometime." Justin tried not to laugh. "What?" Brian demanded.

"Aren't you a little old to be learning to snowboard?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Brian replied in a huff. "I'm quite athletic when I want to be."

"Especially in bed."

"Speaking of which," Brian said as he attacked Justin's neck. They were both panting when they heard a knock on the door.

They stepped back inside and retrieved their steak sandwiches from the waiter who brought them to the door. Justin grabbed a couple of beers from the mini bar and they sat down to eat. Brian carefully divested his steak from its bread and began eating. Justin polished his off quickly and really liked the homemade French fries. Brian gave him most of his.

When they finished the sandwiches Justin said he wished they had some dessert. Brian told him he would give him dessert. Justin wanted dessert that came on a plate.

Brian frowned and went to his carry-all. He fished around in it for the box he wanted. Finally he found it and presented it to Justin.

"What the fuck is that?" Justin asked looking at the colorful box.

"It's a gift from my latest client Double Bubble," Brian said with a smirk.

"Shouldn't you be giving that to Debbie or Michael?" Justin asked wondering whatever possessed Brian to think he would want a box of gum.

"Debbie has her box and Michael has ten boxes to give out at the comic store. This one's for you."

"Thanks," Justin said sarcastically pulling out a piece and starting to chew.

"See, it's sweet and not too filling. A perfect dessert."

Justin snorted. "I think I'd like my dessert without a plate now, please."

"Can't wait for the wedding night?"

"You said it wasn't a wedding."

"It isn't."

"Then what the fuck are you waiting for?"

"Nasty little boy," Brian cooed as he started removing Justin's clothing.

"You wish."

"I always get my wish where you're concerned," Brian smirked.

Justin looked thoughtful as he lay back on the bed and let Brian finish undressing him. He blew a couple of bubbles with his gum and noisily popped them. 

"That's not a very romantic sound," Brian said as he removed his own clothing.

"And what would you know about romantic?" Justin asked.

"What put you in such a snit?"

"I wanted dessert not bubble gum," Justin said with a pout.

"If you're a very bad boy, we can order some later."

"Okay," Justin said perking right up.

"The way to a man's heart…" Brian chimed off. He stopped abruptly as Justin's mouth engulfed his dick. "Umm."

Justin worked the cock with his mouth feeling it harden between his lips. The bubble gum produced lots of saliva and he soon had Brian's dick fully coated. It slid easily in and out of his mouth. Brian still stood by the end of the bed and Justin felt him sway as his orgasm built. Suddenly he stopped and with one hand removed Brian's cock from his mouth staring at it as he did so. Brian opened his eyes and looked down. Clearly on the tip of his cock sat Justin's wad of gum. Justin was admiring its position and began playing with it, spreading it carefully over the head.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Brian demanded.

"Playing."

"You have more important things to do first."

"Oh?"

Brian gestured palm up towards his straining cock. Justin sighed and began to work on it with his mouth tucking his gum in his cheek. As Brian headed towards orgasm he felt Justin draw away once again.

"What now?"

"I want to try something."

"What?"

"Wait and you'll see."

Brian watched Justin blow a huge bubble. He then carefully pressed it against the tip of Brian's cock and opened his mouth to envelope Brian's dick with the bubble. It worked for a minute and then there was a loud pop. Gum was plastered on Justin's face and all over Brian's dick. Justin began to laugh as he picked the gum off his face.

"Get that crap off my dick!" Brian ordered.

"It might not come off. It's really sticky," Justin giggled hysterically. The look on Brian's face and the sticky mess of his cock were a study in contrasts.

"Stop laughing and get it off."

"You gave it to me," Justin griped as he started picking it off.

"Every last bit of it."

"Okay, okay."

"You could have caused serious damage."

"Humph," Justin said as he finished his work. "There, ya big baby."

"The only thing going on my dick from now on is a condom. Understand."

"You're no fun at all," Justin said.

Suddenly Brian was on top of him and the condom was on and he was being ridden for all he was worth. Every time he reached for his dick Brian batted his hand away. Brian pounded into him until Justin whimpered and begged for release.

"Am I fun yet?" Brian demanded thrusting in a steady rhythm. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Oh God, Brian," Justin cried.

"I'll take that as a yes." He grabbed Justin's cock and tugged until they both exploded.

They lay spent on the bed waiting for the world to come back into focus.

"Can I have another piece of gum," Justin asked before Brian attacked him again.

XXXX

Justin’s sleepy eyes slowly fluttered open; opening fully they came to stare into Brian’s hazel orbs. The older man was intently studying his lover’s features. Justin gave a small smile when he saw the raw emotion being directed at him; whether Brian intended to let his feelings show or not, Justin was glad to see them.

“Hey there, sleepyhead.”

“Hey yourself,” Justin moaned huskily as he stretched and arched his back.

Justin’s movements didn’t go unnoticed by Brian… or by Brian’s hard dick. “Wanna fool around?” Brian asked as he leaned into Justin and slowly began tonguing the blond’s neck.

Justin couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped, “No, Brian, we need to get ready for the ceremony.”

“We could skip it,” Brian suggested as he ground his dick into Justin’s thigh.

Justin tensed slightly and pushed Brian back so that he could see the man’s face. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Nope.”

Justin’s eyes narrowed. “You sure?”

“I’m positive. I can’t wait, to be honest.”

Justin chuckled, “Uh huh, I really believe that. You couldn’t even deal with Lindsay and Melanie’s commitment ceremony and now you’re ready for an honest to goodness wedding? Or… well… at least as honest as two fags can do it.”

“Yep.”

“I see you’re a man of many words this morning.”

“Uh huh,” Brian said, sticking his tongue out playfully.

Justin’s eyes focused in on Brian’s tongue as he thought where he’d like it to explore. Justin turned to look at the bedside clock. They really needed to get ready. “Brian, we don’t have time.”

“How about a quickie? It’d calm us before the ceremony.” Brian suggested as his hand snaked beneath the covers and wrapped around Justin’s cock. “I don’t think he,” Brian motioned his head towards Justin’s mid section, “would mind.”

Justin groaned and thrust his hips forward, “Fuck,” he moaned.

“No, Sunshine, we don’t have time for that.” Brian smiled smartly.

“Just shut up, Kinney, and get to work.” Justin grinned.

Brian winked once before pulling the covers down to expose Justin’s dick. Within minutes, Brian had sucked the man to release and Justin quickly returned the favor.

After showering together, to save time of course, the two had wasted more time than they should have and as such all but ran around the suite to quickly get ready for the mid morning ceremony. Justin took his overnight bag and clothing into the bathroom to get ready, while Brian dressed in the main suite.

“Ready?” Justin asked as he finally emerged from the bathroom.

Brian was bent over, slipping on his shoes. He stood and turned to the questioning voice. Momentarily stunned, he finally found his voice. “Justin… Jesus… you look amazing.”

“Yeah, you too, Brian.” Justin said, blushing at Brian’s unreserved comments.

“Well?”

“Well?” Justin shot back playfully, albeit a little nervously.

“Ready?” Brian asked as he took a step closer to his lover and put his hands onto the blond’s shoulders in a show of support.

“Uh huh, ready.”

“Okay, let’s do it.” Brian said as he led them out of the suite and down to the ceremony that awaited them.

XXXX

They stopped outside the door to the restaurant and straightened each other's bowties. They were very striking in their tuxedos, and each wanted the other to look his best. They stepped through the door looking around at the faces of the guests who were already seated. The ceremony was scheduled to begin in about ten minutes.

They walked up to the front and shook hands with the justice of the peace who would perform the simple service. He seemed like a kindly man, indicating that everything was under control. Only a few minutes remained until the deed would be done.

Brian and Justin stood nervously one on each side of the justice of the peace. The man smiled at them in a fatherly manner. The two men looked out over the assembled group. The only people there that they knew were Michael and Ben who had arrived that morning.

Michael grinned up at Brian and gave him a thumbs up. Brian made an appropriate face supposedly of disgust. Ben grinned at him knowing that he didn't really mean it.

A few more people entered the room and quickly found seats. All seemed to be in readiness.

Suddenly the traditional wedding march began to play from some hidden sound system. Everyone turned to face the happy couple as they began their walk down the aisle arm in arm. William and Henry wore matching tuxes and looked as spry as a couple of young bucks. The glow from the smiles on their faces lit up the room.

When they reached the front they stopped and smiled at Justin and Brian. Henry leaned towards Brian.

"Thank you for doing all this for us," Henry said. "This is the best day of my life."

"Mine too," William beamed from his side.

William and Henry quickly said their "I do's" under the patient guidance of the justice of the peace. The ceremony was simple, traditional and elegant. Brian would have had it no other way. Rings were exchanged and promises made. 

Justin kept glancing at Brian. He wanted to see his reaction to the ceremony. Justin had not been in Toronto when Ben and Michael got married and Brian stood up for them. He had found it hard to conceive of Brian doing that, especially when he thought back to Brian's attitude at Mel and Lindsay's wedding. But Brian had changed a lot since then, and a lot of other things had changed too. Maybe a commitment ceremony for them wasn't so farfetched anymore. Brian smiled as the ceremony ended and the justice introduced the new couple by their hyphenated names.

They all signed the documents that made the union legal and then William and Henry walked down the aisle to be bombarded with confetti and the well wishes of all their friends.

The whole assembled group moved to the other section of the restaurant where tables had been arranged and a champagne brunch was laid out. Everyone congratulated the happy couple who beamed with pride. Brian and Justin hung back until everyone else had spoken to the pair. 

"You two look very happy," Brian said as he moved over to shake their hands.

"It's about time he made an honest man of me," William said with a twinkle in his eye. "It's only taken fifty-one years."

"And how long will it take you, Brian?" Henry asked winking at Justin.

Justin was sure he could see Brian blushing in response. The color in Brian's cheeks gave him hope that their might be a ceremony in their future.

"I don't know if I'm ready to settle down yet," Brian said his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. "I'm way too young."

Justin snorted. 

"Only in comparison to us," William said with a big grin.

Justin giggled. He couldn't have called Brian any better on his age shit that he was always dredging up to suit his own purposes.

"Have you been into the champagne already?" Brian asked hearing Justin's giggle.

"No, but I'd like to," Justin stated. "Come on, big guy, I'm starving, and I'm sure William and Henry would like to get something to eat too."

"We'll need sustenance for our wedding night," Henry declared.

"Definitely," William agreed. "And thanks again, Brian, for providing all this."

"It was my pleasure, gentlemen, since you so graciously helped with our commercial. It's been picked up in three more states."

Justin pulled Brian over to the food table where they saw Michael and Ben.

"So when are you two going to do the deed?" Michael asked with a mischievous grin.

Brian's groan was deafening, but he knew that someday it would happen nonetheless.


End file.
